Steve Jensen pleads guilty
 

Thanks for the update Richard.

So that's now 5 that have plead guilty to selling fake game-used jerseys. According to the link from that article, there are still 2 cases pending.

What I also gather from the referenced article is that these fake jerseys were sold to card companies who then chopped them up and were sold as premium insert cards. I wonder if any thing will become of recalling those worthless cards as a means of restitution?

And speaking of cards, the FBI has now taken on fake autographs with Operation Bullpen and now this Fake Jersey debacle. As a hobbyist who used to spend quite a bit on vintage cards, I wonder if Federal law enforcement will ever address the problem of doctored cards. I tried very hard to get the Postal Inspectors and FBI to get involved in this problem since its so rampant, but all I got were some vague excuses from the authorities in my area of the country. The major excuse was that the amount of money involved didn't warrant an investigation. But the reality is that these fake jerseys were sold for amounts of money that some doctored cards are sold for routinely. Very frustrating indeed.

Dan
 

Hey Dan
Good question concerning the cards and tampering of them. If I remember correctly you had an ordeal where a govt. authority figure worked with you, caught the rat in the trap, and then wouldn't follow through with testimony. I know you might be under some confidentiality agreement so understand if you can't comment. That being said it's hard to believe something could be any easier to pursue yet it wasn't. A bit disheartening. We can only hope other authorities won't turn a blind eye when something seems so obvious. best regards and thanks again for all you have done to try to help.

Back to the original topic. I hear there are more investigations, subpoenas, warrants etc...happening with memorabilia and autographs. Hopefully that is the case and more scum will be weeded out.

Leon,

I think you summed it up rather well.

As you know Federal law enforcement is typically very tight-lipped about what's going on. I'm convinced now that the problem is so widespread that even some of the highly esteemed "good guys" are doctoring cards since it's so easy to get away with.

What's really telling is that since posting that controversial thread 2-1/2 years ago, I now try to make it a practice of contacting the seller prior to bidding on his graded card auctions and ask up front if he alter cards in any form and if so what alterations does he make. You'd be surprised how many evade the question, don't respond, or ask if I'm investigating them. Everyone who buys graded or ungraded cards should do likewise.

What needs to happen is that Ebay and other auction sites need to force the sellers to respond to a default setting that requires the sellers to make disclosures in the auction listing stating best to the seller's knowledge no alterations have been made to this card, or if alterations have been made, they are the following.... By doing this it closes several loopholes that may give a card doctor an "out" from being prosecuted.

Right now I'm reading Harry Markopolos' book No One Would Listen regarding trying to blow the whistle on Bernie Madoff. What I've read so far is that in his opinion the SEC didn't really understand how the market worked and as a result repeatedly ignored obvious signs that something very wrong was going on and Markopolos had to just stand back in total frustration watching thousands of people get ripped off over a ten year period. Boy, can I identify with his story.